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The Andrew Goodman Foundation awarded the 2020 SLSV Award for exemplifying the SLSV Guiding Principle of Contributing to an Equitable Democracy

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The 2020 election was the most participatory election in our country’s history. Even amid the challenges of a global pandemic, local leaders creatively adapted their strategies and doubled down on their commitment to ensuring that all eligible voters had access to the voting process. 

To recognize the extraordinary efforts of organizations, campuses, and local leaders, for the first time ever the Students Learn Students Vote (SLSV) Coalition recognized organizations and campuses that exemplify the SLSV Coalition’s Guiding Principles. 

The Andrew Goodman Foundation received the 2020 SLSV Award for exemplifying the SLSV Guiding Principle of Contributing to an Equitable Democracy. 

“For us, building an equitable democracy begins with supporting campuses equitably,” Clarissa Unger, Director of the SLSV Coalition said. “We focus on understanding the specific needs of each campus and providing them with the resources they need to meet their version of success. The Andrew Goodman Foundation perfectly exemplifies the principle of Contributing to an Equitable Democracy.”

“We are so honored to receive this award from the Students Learn Students Vote Coalition,” said Alexandria Harris, Executive Director of The Andrew Goodman Foundation. “Our work is built on the principle of fighting for and ensuring an equitable democracy for all, especially for students who are among the most targeted groups for voter suppression. The Foundation’s namesake—Andrew Goodman, a 20-year-old college student—was murdered alongside James Chaney and Michael Schwerner while trying to register Black Americans to vote in Mississippi during Freedom Summer. Their vicious murders and the principles they stood for are what motivates our organization’s work. We live their legacy today by supporting over 90 campuses across the country—four of which also received this award—to make young voices and votes a powerful force in democracy. This award is as much theirs as it is ours.”

The award was presented at the “Celebrating Our Stars” Awards Ceremony held by the SLSV Coalition on December 4, 2020, to recognize the extraordinary efforts of organizations, campuses, and local leaders throughout the 2020 election cycle. 

About The Andrew Goodman Foundation 

The Andrew Goodman Foundation’s mission is to make young voices and votes a powerful force in democracy by training the next generation of leaders, engaging young voters, and challenging restrictive voter suppression laws. The Foundation’s Vote Everywhere program partners with America’s colleges and universities to provide resources, visibility, and mentoring to a national network of student leaders who involve their peers in participatory democracy through long-term voter engagement, public policy, and social justice initiatives. The organization is named after Andrew Goodman, a 20-year old Freedom Summer volunteer, and champion of equality and voting rights who was murdered by the KKK in 1964 while registering Black Americans to vote in Mississippi.

About the SLSV Coalition

The Students Learn Students Vote (SLSV) Coalition is the national hub and largest nonpartisan network in the United States dedicated to increasing college student voter participation. The Coalition convenes and connects partners, campuses, and students with each other and with resources and programming towards achieving a vision of ensuring that every student has easy and equal access to participate in every election. They use data, relationships, celebration, and easy-to-follow planning structures, to help campus and local leaders register and turn out more student voters every year.

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